Concerned about the paucity of Black coaches and athletics administrators on college campuses, the Black Coaches Association (BCA) devoted a major portion of its annual conference, held last month in Miami, to helping its members prepare and successfully compete for positions in higher education.

"This was an educational conference," said Rudy Washington, executive director of the BCA and athletics director at Compton Community College in California. "We have a lot of new members who need to get job opportunities."

BCA invited athletic directors and other college administrators to the conference in hopes of sensitizing them to the concerns of the association. Aside from meeting with members, the guests participated in interview preparation clinics. However, the turnout of athletic directors was mediocre.

"This is something we have to work on and invite them again. It was not a good turnout, but I can't say they're not interested in the issues," said Alex Wood, vice president of the BCA and head football coach at James Madison University. "It is a process that has to be cultivated. Unfortunately, I am not a person who is diligent in waiting my turn...[and] this is not where we extend an offer once and have them come at our beck and call."

Nevertheless, many were impressed with what they saw. Gene DeFilippo, athletics director at Villanova University, was one of them. After meeting with coaches - several of whom said they were "wowed" by him - DeFilippo said that, as a result of the conference, he now knew people whom he could recommend for jobs in the future.

"I had an absolutely enjoyable time at the BCA," said DeFilippo. "I met some wonderful people. It gave me a chance to... make friends with some brilliant young coaches - guys who are right on the verge of getting head coaching jobs."

Becoming a Successful Candidate

According to DeFilippo, there are six important ingredients for becoming a successful candidate for a job: hard work, smart work, teamwork, fun, written goals, and networking.